Best unagi don in Singapore
There’s something alluring about seeing a slab of grilled eel sitting on a bowl of white rice, in all its glistening glory. High in protein, vitamin A, and calcium, unagi has a melt-in-your-mouth texture and is usually grilled with a sweet sauce. For days you gotta treat yourself, visit any of these best unagi don places in Singapore.
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1. Kazan Japanese Cuisine
Kazan Japanese Cuisine is a hawker stall in Chinatown Complex Food Centre. Affordable and generous in portion, the food served here is great for a quick fix when the cravings hit! The slice of eel in their Unagi Don ($9) is glazed with a sticky sauce, complete with a skin that is grilled till crisp. It is then served on a bed of iceberg lettuce, with pickles and Japanese short-grain rice.
Check out our Kazan Japanese Cuisine review!
Address: 335 Smith Street, #02-001, Chinatown Complex Market & Food Centre, Singapore 081006
Opening hours: Sun-Fri 12pm to 3pm, 5:30pm to 8:30pm
Tel: 8455 5229
Kazan is not a halal-certified eatery.
2. Katanashi An
Another place selling affordable unatama don is Katanashi An. Dig into a variety of Japanese rice bowls at $12 when you order their lunch sets during lunch hours! The grilled eel in their Unatama Don Lunch Set ($12) comes coated with a sweet, sticky glaze, and is served atop an omelette and a bed of rice.
Check out our Katanashi An review!
Address: 1 Boon Tat Street, Singapore 069611
Opening hours: Mon-Fri 11:30am to 2:30pm, 5pm to 10:30pm, Sat 5pm to 10:30pm
Tel: 6221 5101
Website
Katanashi An is a not halal-certified eatery.
3. Unagi Tei (Man Man Japanese Unagi Restaurant)
Unagi Tei, formerly known as Man Man’s, is certainly one of the best unagi don in Singapore, and is recognised repeatedly on the Michelin Bib Gourmand list too. Be prepared to queue here for a minimum of 45 minutes during peak hours! Specialising in Nagoya-style grilled Japanese eel, Man Man uses live eels imported from Japan. The Histumabushi ($35++) is one of their bestsellers. Each portion comes with smoky, grilled unagi slices, a light broth, and fresh wasabi so you can alter the dish’s flavours to your preference.
Check out our Unagi Tei review.
Address: 1 Keong Saik Road, #01-01, Singapore 089109
Opening hours: Mon-Sat 11:30am to 2:25pm, 6pm to 10:30pm
Tel: 6222 0678
Unagi Tei is not a halal-certified eatery.
Man Man Unagi Review: Legit Japanese Unagi Restaurant Near Tanjong Pagar
4. Genki Sushi
Image credit: @claruhh
Genki Sushi is known for their unique way of serving food. The ordering and serving process is a fun experience; orders are placed and tracked via iPads and little trains on conveyor belts deliver food right to your table! If you’re looking for an affordable unagi don in a restaurant setting, then Genki Sushi is your best bet. Their Unagi Don, while smaller in portion than the average rice bowl, is a steal because it’s under $10.
Website
Full list of outlets
Genki Sushi is not a halal-certified theory.
5. Unagiya Ichinoji
Image credit: @jiak.mudho
Robertson Quay is home to a handful of top-tier Japanese restaurants, one of them being Unagiya Ichinoji. The unagi and Wagyu beef specialist prepares all its meats with a charcoal grill, ensuring that your orders all come with deliciously charred bits, and a characteristic smokiness you can only enjoy via this method. There’s a variety of unagi options to choose groom here, including a luxurious Unagi Wagyu Beef Steak Bento ($46.80++), which gets you marbled Wagyu paired with fatty unagi. Else, stick to keeping things simple with their Unajyu Bento ($32++), where premium pearl grain rice is topped with a seared slab of unagi, dressed in a house-made sauce. All items come with a soup and an appetiser.
Address: 30 Robertson Quay, #01-05, Singapore 238251
Opening hours: Daily 11:30am to 2:30pm, 5:30pm to 10pm
Tel: 6732 1970
Website
Unagiya Ichinoji is not a halal-certified eatery.
6. Una Una
Una Una offers one of the most affordable places in Singapore for unagi don. Here, you can get different types of unagi dishes under $20++, from a regular unagi donburi to hitsumabushi. We recommend trying the Regular Spicy Histumabushi ($15.80++), which elevates the Nagoyan dish with a generous serving of Japanese chilli flakes for dressing. Else, if you’ve got a bit more dough to spare, try the Unagi Sashimi Gozen ($29.80++), which comes with a full unagi filet and salmon sashimi slices, to enjoy along with rice. The set also includes miso soup, pickles, and chawanmushi.
Read our Una Una review.
Website | Full list of locations
Una Una is not a halal-certified eatery.
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7. Unatoto
Unatoto is another cheap unagi chain that hails from Japan. They recently opened their first outlet in Singapore, located in Tanjong Pagar, to much fanfare. Prices start at $9.50+ for their cheapest unagi item, but you can also get other donburi bowls for less. Their unagi offerings are extensive, and not just limited to rice bowls. You can get Unagi Tempura ($6+), a tamagoyaki with eel known as Unamaki ($3+) and plenty more. We love their casual value sets too, as these come with soup, an appetiser of your choice, and an unagi dish, under $15+.
Read our Unatoto review.
Address: 7 Wallich Street, Guoco Tower, #B1-03, Singapore 078884
Opening hours: Daily 11am to 10pm
Website
Unatoto is not a halal-certified eatery.
Unatoto Review: Famous Japanese Chain Opens With Unagi Bowls From $9.50+ In Tanjong Pagar
8. Uya Unagi Singapore
Image credit: @eggiefoodies
Uya Unagi Singapore is founded by Japanese F&B professionals who wanted to bring affordable eel dishes to Singapore. Only live eels are prepared here, so you’re getting truly fresh produce. All their eels are grilled and served in a tare that is made with a secret recipe, passed on through four different generations. The ingredients are also entirely sourced from Japan. The Histumabushi (from $35++) is the signature dish here and comes with a generous serving of eel. Otherwise, enjoy their eel set menus, priced from $25++. All dishes come with unagi, rice, soup, and an appetiser. They also have ala carte eel side dishes, including Deep Fried Liver ($9++) and Crispy Bones ($6++). The latter tastes similar to chips, with added crunch!
Address: 501 Orchard Road, #02-15/16, Wheelock Place, Singapore 238880
Opening hours: Mon-Thurs 12pm to 3pm, 6pm to 9:30pm, Fri 12pm to 3pm, 6pm to 10pm, Sat 12pm to 3pm, 5:30pm to 10pm, Sun 12pm to 3pm, 5:30pm to 9:30pm
Tel: 9359 0423
Website
Uya Unagi is not a halal-certified eatery.
9. Omote
Most of us may know Omote for their chirashi and well-priced Japanese fusion fare, but they also have affordable unagi options on the menu. To enjoy Japanese eel as a side dish, get their Unagi Sushi ($6.80++), topped with a generous sliver of grilled eel meat. Else, their Chargrilled Unagi Kabayaki ($32.80++) is great to share or have on your own with a side of rice—the dish comes with a full, grilled eel fillet, chargrilled in a sweet tare sauce, finished with sesame seeds.
Read our Omote review.
Website | Full list of locations
Omote is not a halal-certified eatery.
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10. Donburi Maruya
Donburi Maruya has a few outlets islandwide, but one thing they all have in common is wallet-friendly Japanese dishes, with generous portions. While they’re better known for their katsu dishes, Donburi Maruya also has a Deluxe Unagi Toji Don ($14.50) that comes with half an unagi fillet, caramelised onions, and an egg, served atop rice. We thought it was one of the better unagi don options we’ve tried in hawker centres, but we’ll let you be the judge.
Read our Donburi Maruya review.
Website | Full list of locations
Donburi Maruya is not a halal-certified eatery.
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11. Itchy Bun
The cheekily named Itchy Bun is run by local DJs, The Muttons. Located along Prinsep Street, the menu here is chock full of fusion Japanese dishes, from frog’s leg karaage to bao burgers. When we visited, however, we spotted an Unagi Don priced at just $10.80. While the size may be smaller than usual, each portion does come with four slices of unagi glazed with tare, an onsen egg, a heaping scoop of tobiko, and some Japanese pickles to refresh the palate.
Read our Itchy Bun review.
Address: 44A Prinsep Street, Singapore 188674
Opening hours: Daily 12pm to 3pm, 5pm to 9pm
Website
Itchy Bun is not a halal-certified eatery.
Itchy Bun Review: DJ Duo Muttons Open New Japanese Eatery With $10.90 Unagi Don
Where to eat unagi don in Singapore
It might seem like a simple dish of grilled eel and steamed white rice, but a good bowl of unagi don certainly takes skill and finesse to whip up. For more Japanese eats, check out our guides to the best chirashi don in Singapore and the best sushi places.
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